Farmers Markets : Caroline Wright 15 August 2009 (From Worcester News)

Farmers Markets : Caroline Wright 15 August 2009

10:49am Wednesday 19th August 2009 in Farmers' Markets

RECORDS were broken at Rochford Country Meats recently, when Sapphire the sow gave birth to an incredible 26 piglets.

According to owner Andrew Keysell the record for a saddleback is 27 – but that was not by a natural, free-fromgrowth- hormones animal.

Sapphire, like all the pigs on his farm near Tenbury Wells, lives a perfectly natural, outdoor life, free from growth hormones and any other feed additives.

Mr Keysall said: “Usually, a good litter is 12 to 14 piglets, so you can imagine our surprise when Sapphire just kept going.

She only has 14 teats so you can picture the struggle at feeding time.

“It took her about four to five hours to give birth to them all, which she did by herself. Each piglet weighed less than a bag of sugar.

“Half of the piglets are now running around outside with mum, while the rest are still being kept warm inside. We feed those inside four times a day from a bowl – it’s a feeding frenzy!"

Rochford Country Meats, like all the Worcestershire Farmers'

Market meat producers, prides itself on the quality of its animals and the care shown to them throughout their lives.

Sapphire, who has been at Rochford for two years, shows just how well pigs can thrive in such an environment.

You can talk to Mr Keysall about Sapphire and her amazing litter at today’s farmers’ market in Abbey Road, Malvern, from 9am until 2pm, or at St Peter’s Garden Centre, at Norton, near Worcester, from 9.30am until 2pm next weekend.

For more information about Worcestershire Farmers’ Markets, log on to www.wfmg.co.u